16-year-old to get religious, psychological counselling while studying in detention

The 16-year-old student who was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for planning terrorist attacks on two mosques will receive Christian religious counselling to correct the radical ideology he has imbibed.

The Protestant Christian of Indian ethnicity will also go for psychological counselling to address his propensity for violence and vulnerability to radical influences, said the Internal Security Department (ISD) yesterday.

He will be granted family visits, and an aftercare officer will be assigned to his family to provide social and financial help if needed, the ISD added.

Arrangements have also been made for him to continue his studies, which include preparing him for national examinations, while he is in detention, said ISD

A mentor will also be assigned to the youth - the first ISA detainee inspired by far-right extremist ideology - to guide him towards pro-social behaviours.

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said Singapore's approach of providing religious counselling to radicalised youth is better for their rehabilitation than charging and imprisoning them.

The 16-year-old youth is the youngest person to date to be dealt with under the ISA for terrorism-related activities.

"There's a reasonable expectation, that he, like many of the other boys, would eventually understand what their religion is about, and can actually get rehabilitated," Mr Shanmugam told reporters.

Legally, there is no minimum age for a person to be dealt with under the ISA. Due to the youth's age, special safeguards were taken during the investigations and detention, said the ISD. For example, his mother was present during the interview prior to his arrest.

Family visits were also allowed for him during the 30-day investigation period, although such visits are typically not allowed in the first 30 days.

Mr Shanmugam noted that Singapore adopts a consistent approach to rehabilitation, regardless of an individual's race or religion.

He cited the example of the Religious Rehabilitation Group, which was set up after the 9/11 terror attacks, to explain how the counselling takes place. The group, formed by Islamic scholars and teachers, receives some administrative support from the Government but operates independently.

It counsels the detainees and explains to them what the religion is really about and where they have gone wrong in their understanding of their religion, he added.

Some detainees were released after two years, he said, noting that rehabilitation will take longer for those who are fixed in their views and continue to believe in violence.

Flagging how seven people under the age of 20 have been picked by the ISA since 2015, Mr Shanmugam said: "They accessed the Internet, they get self-radicalised."

He added that the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth are aware of this trend. The ministries are putting in a lot of effort to address the issue, which is why there are fewer such cases here compared with other places.

But he also sounded a word of caution: "There is this tide that's coming in. I want to be realistic about it. We will do our best, society does its best, parents do their best.

"But, nevertheless, you must expect that increasingly, because it is so prevalent elsewhere, across religions - not just any specific religion - you must expect those influences to seep in, somewhat. We can just do our best to try and make sure that we're not overwhelmed."